Murphy's War 1971

     During the closing days of WWII, Irishman Murphy is one of the crew members of the merchant ship Mount Kyle.  A German U-Boat sinks the Mount Kyle and the Germans kill all the crew members with machine guns except for Murphy and a pilot. Dr. Hayden is pacifist Quaker doctor living in a missionary settlement on the Orinoco in Venezuela.  When Murphy and the pilot arrive separately at the settlement, she treats their wounds.  Later, two rafts bring the German crew to the settlement and they begin looking for any men from the boat.  Murphy is not at the settlement when they arrive and he survives but the pilot is killed.  Murphy is very angry about the deaths of all of these men.  He discovers that the U-Boat is hiding farther up river.  Murphy starts to think of a plan for vengeance.

     Dr. Hayden and Frenchman Louis (also on the island) are telling Murphy that the war is nearly over and he needs to forget about the U-Boat!!  He can’t seem to let any of the atrocities go unchallenged?  There is a bi-plane and two boats in the water near the settlement.  He think he might be able to use them for his plan?   3 ½* (I liked this movie)

107 min, Drama directed by Peter Yates with Peter O’Toole, Sian Phillips, Philippe Noiret, Horst Janson, John Hallam, Ingo Mogendorf, Harry Fielder, George Roubicek.

Note:  Imdb 6.9 out of 10, 59% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 115 reviews, Roger Ebert 2 1/2*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela; Malta; Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK; Twickenham Film Studios, St Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK.  There was only one proven case of a U-boat intentionally machine-gunning survivors.  U-852 was on a secret mission and survivors could not be allowed to report the presence of the U-Boat.  Commander Eck gave the order and he was tried and executed for his actions.  Peter O’Toole and Sian Phillips were married at the time of filming.  The U-Boat was actually a Venezuelan submarine, the former USS Tilefish (SS-307).  The amphibious bi- plane was a Grumman Duck that is now on display at the US Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio.